Mormonismhttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/mormonism
en-usSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:08:39 -0400Sun, 02 Aug 2015 15:08:39 -0400The latest news on Mormonism from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/tahiti-beach-soccer-player-religious-beliefs-2015-7Soccer player misses biggest match of his career because of his religious beliefshttp://www.businessinsider.com/tahiti-beach-soccer-player-religious-beliefs-2015-7
Tue, 21 Jul 2015 15:26:57 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55ae954d371d22462c8b620a-921-510/7-21-2015 1-49-33 pm.jpg" alt="Naea Bennett" data-mce-source="YouTube/FIFA" /></p><p></p>
<p>Portugal defeated Tahiti 5-3 in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final to claim their second championship. But things might have been different if the match had not been played on Sunday.</p>
<p>Tahiti played the match without their captain, Naea Bennett, who sat out the game because he is Mormon and does not work on Sundays, <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&amp;tl=en&amp;js=y&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tntv.pf%2FNaea-Bennett-les-Tiki-Toa-demandent-l-arret-de-la-polemique_a6980.html&amp;edit-text=&amp;act=url">according to Tahiti Nui Television</a>.</p>
<p>Bennett was the team's second-leading scorer, having hit the back of the net five times in just four matches including two goals in Tahiti's win over Italy in the semifinals and another two goals in their 5-4 win over Iran in the quarterfinals. The latter match included this amazing bicycle kick goal.</p>
<p><iframe width="720" height="405" frameborder="0" src="http://streamable.com/e/v0e2?autoplay=1&amp;muted=1"></iframe></p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&amp;tl=en&amp;js=y&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tntv.pf%2FNaea-Bennett-les-Tiki-Toa-demandent-l-arret-de-la-polemique_a6980.html&amp;edit-text=&amp;act=url">Tahiti Nui Television</a>&nbsp;report, fans begged Bennett to reconsider. However, the move did not come as a surprise as the 38-year-old Bennett had previously missed Tahiti's group stage match against Paraguay, which also fell on a Sunday.</p>
<p>Back home in Tahiti, Bennett's participation with his club team is less problematic. <a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/1994/09/in-his-fathers-steps?lang=eng">According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints</a>, Bennett's teams at times have had numerous players who were Mormon and the teams are never asked to play on Sunday, something that began with Bennett's father, a local soccer star who converted to Mormonism as an adult.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">&ldquo;Everyone in Tahiti knows the story of [Naea's]&nbsp;father, Erroll Bennett. As a young man, Erroll was the best soccer player in Tahiti, maybe the best player in the South Pacific. He was taught about the Church and wanted to be baptized. The missionaries taught Erroll about keeping the Sabbath day holy, but all of Erroll&rsquo;s soccer games were on Sunday. He felt that if he and his wife were to be baptized then he would have to give up playing soccer&nbsp;...&nbsp;Erroll Bennett&rsquo;s decision did not go unnoticed. After all, soccer was by far the most popular sport in Tahiti, and he was the star of the top team. He had pressure from his extended family, from his teammates, and from those who ran organized sports. But once Erroll was baptized and told his team that he wouldn&rsquo;t be playing on Sunday anymore, sports officials began to make changes to make it possible for Erroll to continue playing. They rearranged sports schedules, moving the Sunday games to nights during the week.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This was Tahiti's first Beach World Cup final. Interestingly, in 2013, they lost in the semifinals. Had Tahiti won that match, Bennett would have been able to play in the final. While this year's tournament was held in Portugal, the 2013 World Cup&nbsp;was played in Tahiti and the final was played on a Saturday.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tahiti-beach-soccer-player-religious-beliefs-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-students-jump-rope-unison-china-2015-6">This mesmerizing video of Chinese students jumping rope in unison is going viral</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-church-makes-first-donation-to-utah-gay-youth-program-2015-7The Mormon Church just made its first-ever donation to an LGBT grouphttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-church-makes-first-donation-to-utah-gay-youth-program-2015-7
Thu, 02 Jul 2015 19:31:00 -0400Peg McEntee
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5595c95eeab8eae91765fac6-710-533/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-mormon-temple-is-seen-with-a-brown-lawn-which-church-officials-have-not-watered-because-of-the-drought-in-los-angeles-california-united-states-may-11-2015-reuterslucy-nicholson-2.jpg" border="0" alt="The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormon temple is seen with a brown lawn, which church officials have not watered because of the drought, in Los Angeles, California, United States May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson">SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - The Mormon Church has made its first-ever donation to the Utah Pride Center, a Salt Lake City organization that works with poor and homeless gay young people, in what center officials said on Thursday was a significant moment in the Church's relationship with the gay community.</span></p>
<p>Relations between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the gay community were strained by Mormon support for California's Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that stripped same-sex couples there of the right to marry until it was ruled unconstitutional in 2010.</p>
<p>In a letter to be read to Mormon congregations this weekend, top leaders of the Utah-based Church will reaffirm its belief that only heterosexual marriage is ordained by God, while urging members to love and treat all people with kindness.</p>
<p>Neither the Church nor the Utah Pride Center announced the amount donated, but the local Fox News affiliate reported it was $2,500.</p>
<p>The Utah Pride Center describes itself as a nonprofit community organization serving the gay, bisexual and transsexual community in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area.</p>
<p>The group serves food to about 40 homeless or low-income youths every week. Its website says it also offers free mental health counseling, provides HIV testing, distributes "safe sex" kits and runs support groups.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5595c925ecad042c6059c9ac-1200-858/gettyimages-91378735.jpg" border="0" alt="gay rights Utah"></p>
<p>In a statement, the center's board president, Kent Frogley, thanked the Mormon church for its donation.</p>
<p>"We are grateful for their generosity and the emerging relationship," Frogley said, adding that the contribution "marks a significant moment" in the relationship between the church and the gay, bisexual and transsexual community.</p>
<p>The Church wrote in a letter to the center that it was "grateful to be able to serve your efforts in this worthy project."</p>
<p>"This feels right," state Senator Jim Dabakis, a Pride Center co-founder and the only openly gay Utah legislator, told the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper about the donation.</p>
<p>Dabakis said that while the Church and the gay, bisexual and transsexual community "do not agree on everything, this is yet another link in a continuing relationship of respect and civility."</p>
<p>(REditing by Daniel Wallis and Will Dunham)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-church-makes-first-donation-to-utah-gay-youth-program-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-brock-lesnar-facts-wrestling-2015-4">12 awesome facts about WWE superstar Brock Lesnar</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-gay-atheist-muslim-president-2015-6There's still one kind of ideology Americans wouldn't support for president ...http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-gay-atheist-muslim-president-2015-6
Fri, 26 Jun 2015 08:15:00 -0400Matthew Speiser
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/558c713a6da8115f2fbb4fdf-1200-924/barack-obama-berlin-germany-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Barack Obama Berlin Germany">Most Americans are willing to support a nontraditional candidate for president if they believe that candidate is qualified for the job, according to a <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/183791/support-nontraditional-candidates-varies-religion.aspx" target="_blank">new Gallup survey released this week</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The poll represents a monumental shift in American tolerance. Sixty years ago less than half of Americans said they would support a female, Jewish, black, gay, or atheist candidate, </span><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/183791/support-nontraditional-candidates-varies-religion.aspx" target="_blank">according to Gallup</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It found that although most Americans would be tolerant of a nontraditional candidate, their opinions become more divisive based on religious background.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Here's a look at how Americans as a whole, as well different religious groups of Americans, would support nontraditional candidates.</p>
<h2>Mormon presidential candidate?</h2>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54d2342c69bedd6154a2f931-1200-924/ap608981320522.jpg" border="0" alt="AP608981320522"></p>
<p>Eighty-one percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified Mormon for president. Among Protestants, 80% say they would vote for a Mormon, while 84% of Catholics say they would vote for a Mormon. 85% of atheists or agnostics agreed. In the past, Mormons Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have run for president as Republican candidates.</p>
<h2>Gay presidential candidate?</h2>
<p>Overall, Gallup found that 74% of Americans would support a qualified gay or lesbian presidential candidate. In addition, 82% of Catholics and 92% of atheists or agnostics would support a gay presidential candidate. Among Protestants, however, only 62% said they would support gay candidate.</p>
<h2>Evangelical Christian presidential candidate?&nbsp;</h2>
<h3><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55489f68eab8ead203f3a0b0-1200-750/gop 2016 huckabee_mill.jpg" border="0" alt="Mike Huckabee" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"></h3>
<p>Pretty good news for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: 73% of Americans would support a qualified evangelical Christian for president.</p>
<p>Protestants would support an evangelical Christian at a rate of 82%, and 72% of Catholics would support such a candidate. Only 57% of atheists or agnostics, however, said they would support an evangelical candidate for president.</p>
<h2>Muslim presidential candidate?</h2>
<p>Sixty percent of Americans say they would support a qualified Muslim for president. While 69% of Catholics and 82% of atheists and agnostics feel this way, only 44% of Protestants say they would vote for a qualified Muslim as president.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Atheist presidential candidate?</h2>
<p>A little over half, or 58%, of Americans say they would vote for a qualified atheist candidate for president. Ninety-one percent of self-identified atheists and agnostics feel this way. Among Catholics, 58% say they would vote for an Atheist, while only 47% of Protestants say they would do so.</p>
<h2>Socialist presidential candidate?</h2>
<p>Socialism is the one ideology a majority of Americans are still not ready to embrace, as only 47% of Americans say they would vote for a qualified socialist as president. That number dips to 28% among Protestants and 46% among Catholics. Among atheists and agnostics, <span>74%</span> say they would vote for a socialist.</p>
<p>That's potentially bad news for US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), a Democratic presidential candidate who has described himself as a "democratic socialist."</p>
<h2>Catholic, female, Jewish, black, or Hispanic presidential candidate?</h2>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/557c5934eab8eaf3574452ab-1200-924/rtx1gcpq.jpg" border="0" alt="Hillary Clinton Roosevelt Island Speech"></p>
<p>Being Catholic, a woman, Jewish, African-American, or Hispanic seems to have little effect on how the American public views a candidate's fitness for office. More than nine in 10 Americans say they would vote for a qualified candidate from any of these demographics, with little disparity among religious backgrounds.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Gallup poll featured telephone interviews with 1,500 American adults in all 50 states. The poll was conducted earlier this month.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obamas-approval-ratings-around-world-2015-6" >Which countries love and hate President Obama</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-gay-atheist-muslim-president-2015-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-chef-difficulties-time-state-dinner-president-obama-2015-5">This is the hardest part about being President Obama's personal chef</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-leader-l-tom-perry-dies-at-92-opposed-same-sex-marriage-2015-5Mormon leader L. Tom Perry dies at 92http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-leader-l-tom-perry-dies-at-92-opposed-same-sex-marriage-2015-5
Sat, 30 May 2015 20:19:00 -0400Ian Simpson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/556a46f45afbd39b3e8b4567-450-300/mormon-leader-l-tom-perry-dies-at-92-opposed-same-sex-marriage.jpg" border="0" alt="President Boyd Packer (L) and Elder L. Tom Perry (R) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wait for the start of the first session of the 185th Annual General Conference of the Church in Salt Lake City, Utah April 4, 2015. REUTERS/George Frey "></p><p>(Reuters) - Mormon leader L. Tom Perry, the oldest member of the faith's highest governing body and who spoke against same-sex marriage, died from cancer on Saturday at age 92, the church said.</p>
<p>Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement.</p>
<p>Perry was present when Utah lawmakers and Mormon leaders introduced a landmark bill in March barring discrimination against gays and transgender people while protecting the rights of religious groups and individuals.</p>
<p>But he drew criticism from gay rights advocates in April when he told a church gathering in Salt Lake City that he opposed "counterfeit and alternative lifestyles."</p>
<p>Perry, a former businessman, was also among four Mormon leaders who met President Barack Obama during a trip to Utah in April.</p>
<p>Perry had served on the quorum since 1974. The quorum is a governing body of the church that is modeled after Jesus Christ’s apostles and serves under the church president and his two counselors.</p>
<p>His first wife, Virginia Lee, died in 1974, and the couple had two daughters and a son. Perry is survived by his wife, Barbara Taylor Dayton, whom he married in 1976.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">(Editing by James Dalgleish)</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pew-religion-study-unaffiliated-millennials-2015-5" >Millennials are giving up on organized religion</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mormon-leader-l-tom-perry-dies-at-92-opposed-same-sex-marriage-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-stars-real-life-2015-4">Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-meets-with-mormon-church-leaders-during-utah-visit-2015-4Obama met with top Mormon leaders during his first presidential visit to Utahhttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-meets-with-mormon-church-leaders-during-utah-visit-2015-4
Fri, 03 Apr 2015 05:06:15 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/551e18855afbd3c0508b4567-450-300/obama-meets-with-mormon-church-leaders-during-utah-visit-2015-4.jpg" border="0" alt="U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Mormon leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including President Dieter Uchtdorf (L), Elder Tom Perry (2nd L), Elder Todd Christofferson (3rd L, back to camera) and President Henry Eyring (2nd R), at Obama's hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah April 2, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst"></p><p>SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - President Barack Obama met with top leaders of the Mormon church shortly after arriving in Utah on Thursday to discuss immigration reform and other issues, his spokesman said.</p>
<p>Obama is spending the night in Utah, home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during a short domestic trip to highlight economic issues that included an earlier stop in Kentucky.</p>
<p>"The president is pleased to meet with top LDS leaders as so many presidents before him have done," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement.</p>
<p>"The leaders will discuss the need to forge more common ground across differences and to promote service to our neighbors, both in our own country and around the world."</p>
<p>This is Obama's first trip to Utah as U.S. president.</p>
<p>Church leaders who were at the meeting included President Henry Eyring, President Dieter Uchtdorf, Elder Tom Perry and Elder Todd Christofferson, the White House said.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Paul Tait)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-meets-with-mormon-church-leaders-during-utah-visit-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/escaping-the-fundamentalist-mormon-flds-sect-led-by-warren-jeffs-2015-3Here's what it's like to escape the fundamentalist Mormon sect led by Warren Jeffshttp://www.businessinsider.com/escaping-the-fundamentalist-mormon-flds-sect-led-by-warren-jeffs-2015-3
Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:46:00 -0400Pamela Engel
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55085f91ecad04bf53441701-480-/warren-jeffs.jpg" border="0" alt="Warren Jeffs" width="480"></p><p>Followers of a controversial Mormon sect <a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2015/3/fleeing-the-flds-sect.html">are reportedly abandoning the church in droves</a>, and adjusting to life on the "outside" isn't an easy task once you've been excommunicated.</p>
<p>Al Jazeera America has published a two-part report on the&nbsp;Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the sect led by convicted pedophile Warren Jeffs. Those who have escaped the church's strict settlement&nbsp;<a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2015/3/deprogramming-from-the-flds-warren-jeffs-cult.html?utm_content=bylines&amp;utm_campaign=ajam&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialFlow">talked to Al Jazeera</a> about "deprogramming" and adjusting to the real world after having been separated from it for so long.</p>
<p>The church — which split from the mainstream Mormon church when the latter banned polygamy — teaches its followers that excommunicated members are "of the devil." As a result, people who leave Jeffs' settlement are often shunned by family members and anyone else still loyal to the church.</p>
<p>After Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison about four years ago for sexually abusing underage girls he took as "wives," the government made efforts to modernize a settlement he controlled in two towns on the Utah-Arizona border. But, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/23/warren-jeffs-mormon-utah-arizona">as The Associated Press notes</a>,&nbsp;Hildale and Colorado City are still dominated by people who remain loyal to Jeffs and resist the "deprogramming" that defectors have embraced.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Associated Press explains how this works:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Hildale and Colorado City town councils are filled with Jeffs loyalists. The 190 children at the Hildale public school are only a fraction of the town’s estimated 1,200 school-aged kids. Many sect members still follow Jeffs’ edict not to send their children to class.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">... Women and girls wearing prairie dresses with up-do hairstyles can be seen around town, pumping gas and driving tractors. They often run and hide when they see outsiders. Men drive trucks with windows tinted so dark you can’t tell who is inside.</span></p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55086a9569bedd0572092d76-1200-924/colorado-city-arizona-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Colorado City, Arizona"></p>
<p>Jeffs controls his followers and relays orders through his brothers&nbsp;Lyle, a bishop in the church, and Nephi. Some FLDS members say that Jeffs' edicts have gotten much harsher since he was imprisoned.</p>
<p>Al Jazeera reports:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Many feel he is&nbsp;trying to control every aspect of daily life for his followers — not just the details of the outfits they should wear but also what they can and cannot eat and exactly how they should wash their hands to remain "pure." ... Children are not allowed to play in the town park, and toys are forbidden. Nonreligious books, television and almost all access to the Internet are banned.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/550862fa69beddc355092d73-1200-924/flds-mormon-eldorado-texas-1.jpg" border="0" alt="FLDS Mormon Eldorado, Texas"></p>
<h3>Family</h3>
<p>Members of the FLDS sect are taught that people who leave the church or are forced out are unholy, which means excommunicated members are often denied contact with their family and friends who are still part of the settlement.</p>
<p>Some former members set up clandestine visits with family who are still with the church, but these meetings are often held in secret.</p>
<p>Kenneth Thomas, who left the church about two years ago, told Al Jazeera that when he visits his family his children don't speak to him. He's getting divorced from his wife, who still believes in the FLDS doctrine.</p>
<p>Flora Jessop, a former FLDS member who was the subject of a TLC show about the sect, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/22/flds-sexual-abuse_n_4646181.html">told HuffPost Live</a> that her father no longer acknowledges her when she visits her nieces and nephews.</p>
<p>"Today, when I see him, he can barely stand to be in my presence," Jessop said.</p>
<h3>School</h3>
<p>The FLDS church tells its members to homeschool children, and the teachings rely heavily on religion.</p>
<p>Some former members who flee the church go back to school once they're on the outside, but it can be a tough adjustment.</p>
<p>An anonymous former FLDS member told Al Jazeera: "I started community college this week. It’s overwhelming. So many people! And I just don’t know how to act."</p>
<h3>Dating</h3>
<p>Kenneth Thomas told Al Jazeera that he's thinking about dating again, which is daunting because of his background. Finding someone who can understand that culture might be a difficult task.</p>
<p>But sometimes leaving the church is necessary to be with the person you love.</p>
<p>Kathwren Steed, a first cousin of Jeffs, realized that she was gay while she was still living on the settlement.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">She told Al Jazeera that she started an affair with her best friend, who eventually fled the sect with her. The night the affair started with Steed's friend, she panicked because she knew the church wouldn't accept it.</span></p>
<p>"I freaked out," Steed said. "I was on my knees the entire night, praying, ashamed."</p>
<p>They broke later up, and Steed met someone new while working at a lesbian bar in Salt Lake City. Her now-wife was raised Mormon and was sympathetic to what Steed had been through.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5508692d69bedd0772092d75-1200-924/colorado-city-arizona.jpg" border="0" alt="Colorado City, Arizona"></p>
<h3>Daily life</h3>
<p>People who escape the FLDS church to live outside the settlement are often clueless when it comes to modern life in the rest of America.</p>
<p>Many who live in the settlement don't have access to the internet.</p>
<p>A 22-year-old who left the church in 2013 told Al Jazeera that he first found out about Facebook when he snuck a look at it on a computer right before he left the settlement. He'd heard about the social network and found some friends who had escaped the sect.</p>
<p>The anonymous woman who just went back to college says even simple decisions can be overwhelming.</p>
<p>"Before, the only choice was the pink dress or the blue dress or maybe the green dress — there were not many ways to express yourself," she told Al Jazeera.</p>
<p>Kathwren Steed told Al Jazeera that she learned to put on mascara from watching YouTube videos.</p>
<p>Those who have escaped the sect also struggle with psychological issues at times.</p>
<p>Flora Jessop told HuffPost Live that it took her years to be able to trust women after she made it out of the church. Being in a polygamist family, where multiple women share one husband, fosters jealousy and competition, she said.</p>
<p>"The brutality on each other and on each others' children is insanity, and so you learn to hate women," Jessop said.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/escaping-the-fundamentalist-mormon-flds-sect-led-by-warren-jeffs-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/going-clear-sundance-premiere-scientology-bombshells-2015-1">6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/one-big-way-romneys-2016-campaign-would-be-different-2015-1Here's One Big Way Mitt Romney's 2016 Campaign Would Be Differenthttp://www.businessinsider.com/one-big-way-romneys-2016-campaign-would-be-different-2015-1
Tue, 27 Jan 2015 12:33:00 -0500Colin Campbell
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/509d5790eab8ea435f000012-600-/romney-church-mormon.jpg" border="0" alt="romney church mormon" width="600"></p><p>If he runs for president again in 2016, Mitt Romney is set to do things very differently this time around.</p>
<p>Notably, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-ahead-of-2016-run-now-calls-utah-home-talks-openly-about-mormon-influence/2015/01/27/c3875940-a4ef-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0_story.html">according to The Washington Post</a>, the 2012 Republican nominee is planning on making an effort to appear less polished and more "authentic."</p>
<p>In addition to his failed 2012 bid, Romney unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination in 2008. Both times he was criticized for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/magazine/mitt-romney-bot.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0">appearing stilted and overly managed</a>. This led to Romney being <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/mitt-romney-robot-quiz">frequently described</a> as "robotic." </p>
<p>The Washington Post also identified one "central" component of Romney's effort to seem more genuine and natural if he runs in 2016: fully embracing his Mormon faith during the campaign. </p>
<p>"Romney is determined to re-brand himself as authentic, warts and all, and central to that mission is making public what for so long he kept private," The Post reported Tuesday. "He rarely discussed his religious beliefs and practices in his failed 2008 and 2012 races, often confronting suspicion and bigotry with silence as his political consultants urged him to play down his Mormonism."</p>
<p><span>Romney, a former Mormon pastor, struggled with how to talk about his religion in both of his past presidential campaigns. His</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> eldest son, Tagg Romney, told the paper that his father was concerned he could alienate voters by making them think he was trying to convert them.</span></p>
<p>"He has been reluctant to speak too openly on the campaign trail about his faith out of a concern that people would believe his motivation for running was based on an attempt to convert others to his faith," he said. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I believe he would be much more willing to open up and share who he is — not by asking others to learn the doctrines of his faith, but by speaking of the values of love and service that it has taught him."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Romney associates also recently </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/us/politics/romneys-consideration-of-candidacy-is-closely-tied-to-his-faith-allies-say.html?smid=tw-share">told The New York Times</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> he is likely to talk about his faith more on the campaign trail if he runs in 2016. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Kirk Jowers, a family friend who chaired Romney's leadership PAC, argued Romney's previous White House bids opened up the opportunity for the candidate to offer a more complex picture of himself.</span></p>
<p>"In 2008, Romney risked being a caricature of the Mormon candidates," Jowers said. "Now everyone seems to know everything about him, and that will be very liberating for him to talk about his faith."</p>
<p><span>Accordingly, Romney has taken multiple actions indicating he's ready to embrace his own religion should he move forward with another national campaign. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He reportedly changed his voter registration </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">from M</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">assachusetts, where he served as governor, to Utah, the epicenter of the Mormon community. And, according to the Post, members of his inner circle are even considering Salt Lake City as the location of his 2016 campaign headquarters.</span></p>
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<p><strong> </strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/one-big-way-romneys-2016-campaign-would-be-different-2015-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-mormons-have-special-underwear-2014-10Here's Why Mormons Have Special Underwearhttp://www.businessinsider.com/why-mormons-have-special-underwear-2014-10
Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:26:00 -0400Emma Green
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/544d37b3ecad04ea2ef0f665-600-/mormon-undergarments.png" border="0" alt="mormon undergarments" width="600"></p><p>Mormonism has long been a source of cultural fascination—and sometimes suspicion—in America.</p>
<p>From "Big Love,"<em>&nbsp;</em>a TV series about a man and his many wives in Utah, to "Sister Wives," which is basically a reality-television version of the same show, depictions of the faith have often focused on sex.</p>
<p>In part, that's driven by the history of polygamy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: In the 1840s, many male members started taking multiple wives, a practice that has been both outlawed and frowned upon at various times in American history.<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/10/mormon-underwear-revealed/381792/#jesus">*</a></p>
<p>But a lot of the fascination with Mormon sex is also because of the underwear.</p>
<p>Known as temple garments, the inner layer of clothing worn by many observant Mormons has been an object of non-Mormon curiosity for nearly two centuries, in large part because the Church has intentionally kept information about the garments private.</p>
<p>Or at least until this week, when the LDS church released a video&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/temple-garments">on its website</a>&nbsp;explaining the ritual purpose of temple garments, requesting that non-Mormons and members of the media to treat "Latter-day Saint temple garments as they would religious vestments of other faiths. Ridiculing or making light of sacred clothing is highly offensive to Latter-day Saints."</p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SkTz_NQqKA8"></iframe></p>
<p>As the post points out, many faiths incorporate garments into their religious practice, from yarmulke-wearing Jews to habit-donning nuns. But temple garments seem to make Americans unusually curious—they're often referred to as "magic underwear" and said to have "magical" powers. When the shadow of Mitt Romney's undershirt showed up beneath his neatly pressed white-collar shirts during his 2012 presidential campaign, it sparked&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/a-brief-guide-to-mormon-underwear">explainers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/does-romney-wear-magic-mormon-underwear-69494/">spectacle</a>, and even&nbsp;<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-politics/9580344/US-election-can-we-please-talk-about-Mitt-Romney-and-his-magic-underwear.html">mockery</a>.</p>
<p>"Because they're concealed under the clothing, because the instruction is not to show them to other people, and Mormons consider them to be sacred, that automatically gives a kind of aura of mystery to them, of secretness," said Patrick Mason, the chair of religious studies at Claremont Graduate University. The garments are given to members during a private ceremony inside a Mormon temple which can only be attended by active Mormons, adding to the air of secrecy.</p>
<p>This has been the case since members started wearing the garments in the early 1840s under the guidance of the founder of the Church of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith. "Because Mormons practiced polygamy from the 1840s on, and they have this private ceremony, the faith seemed to be all about sex to the populace: Is this all about sex, or is this about Jesus?" said Philip Barlow, a professor of Mormon history and culture at Utah State University.</p>
<p>Even though most of American culture has evolved away from the reserved sexual mores of the nineteenth century, the garments are still a source of fascination, if only because of the many logistical questions involved.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Romney's Magic Mormon Underwear Line is clearly visible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/p2?src=hash">#p2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RNC?src=hash">#RNC</a> <a href="http://t.co/uUAL744v">pic.twitter.com/uUAL744v</a></p>
— Jeff Gauvin (@JeffersonObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffersonObama/status/241339679293702144">August 31, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>For example: Do Mormons wear lingerie when they have sex? Some do, says Mason, although he noted that "Mormons don't generally talk a lot about sex or underwear." Has the underwear been the same since it made its debut in 1844? Nope, says Mason; it used to be much longer and identical for women and men, "which obviously doesn't exactly work."</p>
<p>Or, for that matter, what does it really look like? That seems to be one of the questions that the LDS Church is trying to answer in releasing public information about the garments. "White symbolizes purity," the website says. "There is no insignia or rank. The most senior apostle and the newest member are indistinguishable when dressed in the same way. Men and women wear similar clothing."</p>
<p>The video shows the everyday garments worn by both genders, which look like a plain white T-shirt and shorts, and a longer robe that's worn in religious ceremonies. While many Mormons find that the garments "stir the deepest feelings of the soul, motivate them to do good, even shape the course of a whole life of service," the site says, they're also pretty straightforward: "There is nothing magical or mystical about temple garments."</p>
<p>Even within the Church, though, the garments have an almost mythical aura. "People will tell stories about how the garments protected them from some kind of physical danger, stories about people who were in a fire and all the parts of their body were burned except where they had their garments on," Mason said. It's even said by some that "Joseph Smith was not wearing his garments when he was assassinated in 1844."</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/544d386469bedd7e36910d06-1200-706/screen%20shot%202014-10-26%20at%2013.58.28.png" border="0" alt="mormon underwear" width="800"></p>
<p>To varying degrees, all kinds of religious clothing carry this latent sense of power and otherness and secrecy; it's the physical expression of someone's beliefs about the nature of the universe, an outward claim that the wearer possesses some kind of fundamental truth. LDS temple garments also happen to also be associated with one of the most private, secret spheres of life: sexuality. Mormon underwear sets followers of the faith apart from everyone else in one of the most intimate possible way.</p>
<p>But the ongoing fascination with Mormon underwear is also related to pervasive suspicion of Mormonism itself in American culture. "The Mormons in particular have been in a distinctive cultural space ever since their founding," said Barlow. "They have one foot inside and one foot outside of American culture."</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-mormons-have-special-underwear-2014-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-missionary-2014-8What It's Like Being A 19-Year-Old Mormon Missionary In A Foreign Countryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-missionary-2014-8
Wed, 20 Aug 2014 17:36:00 -0400Andrea K Bennett and Kim Fu
<p dir="ltr"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53f5123d69beddf356158073-1200-600/rtxd533-3.jpg" border="0" alt="RTXD533"></p><p>Seventeen-year-old Matthew Timion was smoking a cigarette out his bedroom window when he heard a knock at the door. He’d just moved across the country with his mother and stepfather, a militant atheist. The recent death of his alcoholic father had left him with many questions about life, death and faith. Without looking, he somehow knew the visitors at the door were Mormon missionaries. He later interpreted this as a sign from God.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Mormonism came as a white horse,” Timion says. “They talked about families that can be together forever, life after death, the purpose of life. And there was an instant community. [For] someone like myself, who has father issues, this church run by men ready to give you a pat on the back filled every need I had.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The missionaries Timion met that day guided him through the conversion process. Two years later, Timion embarked on a mission himself.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">Non-Mormons are used to hiding from pairs of clean-cut young men in name tags and dark suits. But few of us understand what’s it’s like to be inside those suits, knocking on doors and approaching strangers in public to discuss their most deeply held beliefs.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in 1830, over&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/one-million-missionaries-thirteen-million-members">one million Mormons</a>&nbsp;have gone on missions. In March &nbsp;2014 alone,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-provides-additional-missionary-statistics">there were 85,039 full-time missionaries</a>&nbsp;serving at 405 missions around the world. Sixty-four percent of those missionaries were young men, 28 percent were young women, and 8 percent were seniors, who are&nbsp;defined in church literature to be worshippers who have left the workforce.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For young men growing up in Mormon communities, the pressure to go on a mission is enormous. Open any newspaper in Utah and you’ll find farewell and homecoming announcements. An advertisement in&nbsp;<em>The Universe</em>, Brigham Young University’s campus newspaper, offers a free pre-mission dental exam. One missionary we spoke to had his wisdom teeth removed as a farewell gift from his Mormon dentist.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russell Beckstead<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/08/young-restless-and-preaching-mormon/378760/?single_page=true#names">*</a>, is the ninth of ten siblings, six of whom had served before Russell was old enough to serve on a mission. In the small Idaho town where he grew up, 66 percent &nbsp;of the county was Mormon, and time was marked by the comings and goings of missionaries.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“If you’re a man in the church and you didn’t serve a mission, that immediately raises eyebrows,” Beckstead explains. “Your prospects of getting a mate are linked directly to whether or not you served an honorable mission. A common joke is that the more people you preach the gospel to, the more attractive your future wife will be.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Even more than mainstream Christianity, Mormonism emphasizes the importance of evangelism. One of Joseph Smith’s revelations in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/42.61-69?lang=eng">Doctrine &amp; Covenants</a>, an LDS foundational document, reads, “Ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel [...], declaring my word like unto angels.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">During our interview, Beckstead pulls a laminated card from his pocket. “This is a priesthood line of authority. Jesus gave the priesthood to Peter, James, and John, who gave it to Joseph Smith, who gave it to these guys, and these guys gave it to these guys, all the way down to me. There’s a direct line of authority from Jesus Christ to me. And so I really believed, on my mission, that I was an official, legal representative of Jesus Christ.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">All missionaries report to one of 15 missionary training centers throughout the world at the start of their mission. The largest training center, in Provo, Utah, stretches several miles alongside BYU and accommodates up to 4,000 missionaries-in-training who are called&nbsp;“Elders” and “Sisters.”&nbsp;For up to 12 weeks, they receive classroom instruction in foreign languages, theology, and conversational strategies, guided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng">Preach My Gospel</a>, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/topics/missionary/MissionaryHandbook2006Navigate.pdf?lang=eng">Missionary Handbook</a>&nbsp;outlines acceptable language, dress, conduct, tithing, and relationships. Several missionaries described the training center&nbsp;as “boot camp” for its spiritual and emotional “breakdowns” and highlighted its&nbsp;rigorous sixteen-hour schedule—the same hours&nbsp;missionaries keep throughout their time abroad.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It was like a college dorm with a bunch of clean-cut men that all look the same,” says Timion, the missionary who converted at age 17. “A clone center. They let you know that everything you’ve done is a sin. All these 19-year-old boys and 21-year-old girls feel horrible about themselves, and confess and are forgiven. It was a very, very long, miserable experience that I wouldn’t want to relive.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The missionary training center is also a missionary’s first experience of companionship—having an assigned companion by your side 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as you dress, bathe, study, eat, and sleep. If you want to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you have to wake your companion and have him stand guard outside the door. “Your missionary companion is there to keep you on the straight and narrow path, so you don’t let Satan win,” Timion says.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russell Beckstead’s older siblings were called to exotic locations, including the Caribbean, northern Europe, and eastern Germany immediately following the fall of the Berlin Wall. “And then I was called to Indiana!” Beckstead laughs.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“In Indiana, there was this line everybody would use. They would say, ‘There’s two things that I don’t talk to anybody about: politics and religion. Now get outta here.’ I heard that line I don’t know how many times.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Missionaries provide progress numbers to their mission leaders, who in turn report up a hierarchical structure: How many people they talk to, how many copies of the Book of Mormon they distribute, how many baptisms they’ve performed, and so on. All of the missionaries we spoke to mentioned how rare baptisms were, and how much guilt they felt as a result. "You’re like, man, we only talked to four people this whole week. We must be horrible missionaries,"&nbsp;Beckstead says. "And they—the assistants, and the zone leaders and the president—they try really hard to convince you that they don’t care about the numbers. They’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not about the numbers, elders. It’s not about the numbers …&nbsp;<em>but what are the numbers?!'"</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">And those&nbsp;numbers were frequently dismal. “The most typical experience was just a door slammed in your face,” Beckstead says. “Somebody sees that you’ve got a nametag on, and you’re in a tie and a white shirt, and the door immediately closes.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">After the first few months of his mission in England, Adam Ballard<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/08/young-restless-and-preaching-mormon/378760/?single_page=true#names">*</a>, 19, born and raised in Provo, Utah, began to question if he genuinely believed in the only system of faith he’d ever known. He realized one of his roommates had gone on a mission to escape his abusive father, and that others struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, and pornography addiction, which Ballard attributed to the church’s repressive stance on sexuality.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ballard was seeing a mission-appointed counselor for anxiety. “My counselor said, ‘Elder Ballard, you can choose to be yourself and do what you believe in, or you can live a hollow life.’ I don’t think he realized what he was saying. A week later, I called my mission president and told him I was going home.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Before he could be released, Ballard was ordered to speak to his father, his sister, and his stake president, who acts as&nbsp;the head of several local congregations, or "stakes." He described this as “one of the hardest things in my entire life.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ballard phoned his father first. “He’s like, ‘What about when Mom died? What about what you said before you left on your mission?’ And I remember telling him, ‘Dad, I lied, because I wanted to look good.’ I got off the phone and cried for two hours.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">A&nbsp;<a href="http://blogs.uvu.edu/newsroom/2013/10/30/uvu-study-reports-on-the-reasons-for-and-reactions-to-early-returned-missionaries/">2013 study</a>&nbsp;at Utah Valley University found that nearly three quarters of missionaries who return home early experience a deep sense of failure. Ballard served for seven months,and received an honorable discharge for health reasons. Although he’s finding the transition difficult&nbsp;and his home congregation less than receptive, Ballard remains positive about the mission experience overall. “You can ‘life shop.’ You meet thousands of people who’ve lived their lives thousands of ways, people who are doctors, lawyers, janitors, who have children, who don’t have children, who are married, who aren’t married, who’ve never been married. And you can see, like, ‘Oh, that’s how I want to live my life. I want to live my life like that guy.’”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">Scott Horton’s family has been Mormon for several generations. Like many missionaries, he had doubts about his faith, but he wanted to set a good example for his younger brothers, and the scriptures suggested that the mission itself was the best way to strengthen his testimony.</p>
<p dir="ltr">While an estimated 40 percent of returned missionaries become inactive sometime after completing their mission, only 2 percent become apostates, meaning that they request to have their names removed from church rolls, or are formally excommunicated. Scott Horton is among the 2 percent. Looking back, he recalls the moment when “all the lights starting firing” on his mission in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.&nbsp;“In my last area, I went on a regimen of studying the Book of Mormon like crazy, praying like crazy. I got to a point where I was fasting every week, wanting to get an answer. I did that for two or three months. And just nothing.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another turning point occurred when Horton stopped a man on the street who was an adherent to the Virgin of Guadalupe. “I said, ‘Oh, that’s really interesting. Why do you follow her?’ And he said, ‘Well, five or six years ago, I didn’t have a job and I was out of money. And I couldn’t stand to be at home and watch my daughters cry over hunger. I was walking down the road, praying, and I had no idea what to do. And I saw a light. I looked into the light and saw the Virgin. She told me that everything would be okay, and that she was looking out for me and would provide for me. And when I looked down, below the light, there was 20 pesos on the ground. I picked it up and bought bread and milk for my daughters. I’ll always remember that, and I will never move away from her.’</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I was dumbfounded. I thanked him for sharing that story with me and let him go on his way. I remember thinking, I have nothing that even compares to something that spiritual, that profound. Who was I to stand out here telling people what to do? You start to recognize how ridiculous it is to put people’s eternal salvation in the hands of 19-year-olds who are viewing it as a competition of who can baptize more people.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr">* * *</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russell Beckstead, now in his mid-thirties, remains an active member of the Church. He still accompanies missionaries every week as a model of non-missionary fellowship—what he refers to as “being a normal person.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Beckstead is uncomfortable with the missionary promise that conversion is a cure-all. “People will talk about how they lost their job, or they have this medical problem, or their wife left them, or their kid is in trouble at school, or their parents are suffering and old. And as a missionary, your mentality is, ‘Okay, pray and read the Book of Mormon. Done.’ And I want to be like, ‘Did you not hear all these other problems?’ I still believe that faith and Jesus Christ gives people power and comfort in their lives. But it’s not going to solve their problems!”</p>
<p dir="ltr">For Beckstead and others, like Ballard and Horton, the most memorable aspect of missionary work was the connections they developed with different kinds of people—and the theological tension these connections raised. “There’s a scripture in the Book of Mormon that says, ‘The natural man is an enemy to God.’ It gets drilled into you that everybody else is secretly miserable because they’re not in the church. As a missionary, it’s your job to share the secret to happiness. And I just found that that wasn’t true. There’s lots of happy people with great lives, just trying to do the best they can.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Maybe my faith in the institution was shocked, but my faith in humanity was boosted.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em style="line-height: 1.5em;">*&nbsp;These names have been changed to protect privacy.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-missionary-2014-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/killer-home-workout-crunches-knee-tucks-push-ups-spiderman-2015-2">Here's a killer workout you can do at home</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/fancy-mormon-temples-2014-8These Magnificent Temples Point To How Rich The Mormon Church Ishttp://www.businessinsider.com/fancy-mormon-temples-2014-8
Wed, 06 Aug 2014 16:46:00 -0400Corey Adwar
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/53dbd1156da811f11bc71306-480-/san_diego_ca_temple_cropped.jpg" alt="San Diego Mormon temple" border="0" width="480"></p><p>Mormon temples are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17095-2004Jun4.html">often built near highways</a> to impress passing drivers with their splendor.</p>
<p>These magnificent structures may be one of many recruitment techniques that helped the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gain <a href="http://blogs.thearda.com/trend/featured/diversity-rising-census-shows-mormons-nondenominational-churches-muslims-spreading-out-across-u-s/">nearly 2 million new followers in the U.S. in a decade</a> — more than any other religion — for a total of 6.14 million, according to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Globally, Mormon temples and meetinghouses are </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/12/us-usa-politics-mormons-idUSBRE87B05W20120812">worth an estimated $35 billion</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, reported Reuters in 2012. They represent the most outward show of wealth for an organization whose finances are secret but thought to be extensive.</span></p>
<p>A major source of income for the Church is tithes, donations followers are supposed to give that comprise 10% of their income, with other income from other donations, businesses, and properties. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Although the federal government doesn't require public financial disclosure from religions in the U.S., a</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> clearer financial picture is provided thanks to disclosures in other countries.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Sociologist Ryan Cragun and Reuters used data from Canada to estimate the Church </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">receives </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/12/us-usa-politics-mormons-idUSBRE87B05W20120812">more than $6 billion annually from tithing in America</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. Throughout the world, the Church is estimated to make $7 billion annually through tithes and other donations.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Church's major for-profit enterprise is Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), whose subsidiaries bring in $1.2 billion of annual revenue through businesses in journalism, media, insurance, and hospitality, <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-10/how-the-mormons-make-money#p1">reported BloombergBusinessweek in 2012</a>, though DMC CEO Keith McMullin claimed that estimate was "vastly overstated." </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Church's for-profit agricultural holding company, AgReserves, and Church-run affiliates own 1 million acres in the continental U.S., containing farms, hunting preserves, orchards, and ranches, along with significant properties overseas. Notably, the Church recently became <a href="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-03-06/news/os-mormon-florida-land-deal-sealed-20140306_1_mormon-church-north-florida-utah-based-church">the largest private landowner in Florida</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Church also runs for-profit real estate arms that have a hand in residential buildings, office parks, parking lots, shopping malls, and more, reports BloombergBusinessweek.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Church's high-ranking Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained in a speech <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/10/spirituality?lang=eng#watch=video">how money can be used in spiritual ways</a>:</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If allowed to become an object of worship or priority, money can make us selfish and prideful ... In contrast, if used for fulfilling our legal obligations and for paying our tithes and offerings, money can demonstrate integrity and develop unselfishness. The spiritually enlightened use of property can help prepare us for the higher law of a celestial glory. "</span></p>
<p>The building and operation of temples is one of the Church's <a href="http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-financial-independence">five key activities</a> supported by tithing.</p>
<p>We've pulled together pictures and information on some of the most magnificent Mormon temples. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Yes, other religions have some extremely lavish places of worship, but the Mormon church is closing the gap.</span></p><h3>Dedicated in 1964, the Oakland, California temple stretches 170-feet high with a reinforced concrete and California white marble exterior, has a 95,000-square-foot floor area, and sits on 18.3 acres. The north and south side of the exterior feature 35-foot sculpted panels depicting holy scenes of Jesus.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/53d260a66da8115070767269-400-300/dedicated-in-1964-the-oakland-california-temple-stretches-170-feet-high-with-a-reinforced-concrete-and-california-white-marble-exterior-has-a-95000-square-foot-floor-area-and-sits-on-183-acres-the-north-and-south-side-of-the-exterior-feature-35-foot-sculpted-panels-depicting-holy-scenes-of-jesus.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>Source: <a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/temples/">LDSChurchTemples.com</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Dedicated in 2002, the 54,000-square-foot Nauvoo, Illinois temple’s exterior consists of limestone block from Russellville, Alabama. It is a reconstruction of an earlier temple destroyed by fire in 1848.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/53d26230eab8eac90a59b0a6-400-300/dedicated-in-2002-the-54000-square-foot-nauvoo-illinois-temples-exterior-consists-of-limestone-block-from-russellville-alabama-it-is-a-reconstruction-of-an-earlier-temple-destroyed-by-fire-in-1848.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><span>Source:&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/temples/">LDSChurchTemples.com</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Dedicated in 1974, the exterior of the 160,000-square-foot Washington, D.C. temple consists of reinforced concrete and Alabama white marble. The temple sits on a 52-acre site, and its seven floors represent the six days of God’s creation and the seventh day of rest. </h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53d263136da811c97b76726f-400-300/dedicated-in-1974-the-exterior-of-the-160000-square-foot-washington-dc-temple-consists-of-reinforced-concrete-and-alabama-white-marble-the-temple-sits-on-a-52-acre-site-and-its-seven-floors-represent-the-six-days-of-gods-creation-and-the-seventh-day-of-rest.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><span>Source:&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/temples/">LDSChurchTemples.com</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fancy-mormon-temples-2014-8#dedicated-in-1893-the-massive-253000-square-foot-salt-lake-city-temple-is-the-churchs-largest-and-took-40-years-to-build-its-exterior-consists-of-quartz-monzonite-and-the-walls-are-nine-feet-thick-at-its-base-and-six-feet-thick-at-their-highest-point-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-church-ousts-feminist-human-rights-lawyer-on-charges-of-apostasy-2014-6Mormon Church Ousts Feminist Human Rights Lawyer On Charges Of Apostasy http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-church-ousts-feminist-human-rights-lawyer-on-charges-of-apostasy-2014-6
Mon, 23 Jun 2014 21:06:17 -0400Amanda Holpuch
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53a8cea1eab8ea2519bfd1d6-1200-858/mormon-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Mormon Kate Kelly" /></p><p>The Mormon church has excommunicated an activist on <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/12/mormon-activists-apostasy-social-issues">charges of apostasy</a> in response to her <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/16/mormon-woman-excommunication-lds-church-ordination">advocacy for women&rsquo;s ordination</a> within the church.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/22/mormon-church-women-kate-kelly-excommunication-vigil">Kate Kelly</a>, a founder of the group Ordain Women, was told Monday of the decision after a disciplinary trial by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). She received an email from her former ecclesiastical leader, Bishop Mark Harrison in Virginia, saying she was convicted in apostasy &ndash; the most serious punishment a church court can administer to members.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>Harrison said in the email verdict that Kelly, an international human rights lawyer who now lives in Utah, was being excommunicated &ldquo;for conduct contrary to the laws and order of the church&rdquo;. This means she cannot participate in church proceedings such as taking the sacrament, speaking at church or offer public prayer at a church meeting.</p>
<p>"Harrison said in the email verdict that Kelly, an international human rights lawyer who now lives in Utah,</p>
<p>&ldquo;These conditions almost always last at least one year,&rdquo; Harrison said in the email. &ldquo;If you show true repentance and satisfy the conditions imposed below while you are no longer a member, you may be readmitted by baptism and confirmation.&rdquo;</p>
<p>She could be re-baptised in the church, provided she abides by certain conditions, Bishop Harrison said in the email.</p>
<p>"In order to be considered for readmission to the church, you will need to demonstrate over a period of time that you have stopped teachings and actions that undermine the church, its leaders, and the doctrine of the priesthood. You must be truthful in your communications with others regarding matters that involve your priesthood leaders, including the administration of church discipline, and you must stop trying to gain a following for yourself or your cause and taking actions that could lead others away from the church."</p>
<p>Kelly was contacting family and friends about the decision on Monday evening.</p>
<p>"The decision to force me outside my congregation and community is exceptionally painful,&rdquo; she said in a statement. &ldquo;Today is a tragic day for my family and me as we process the many ways this will impact us, both in this life and in the eternities. I love the gospel and the courage of its people. Don&rsquo;t leave. Stay, and make things better."</p>
<p>Earlier this month, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/229281605/Letter-threatening-excommunication-to-Kate-Kelly">church leaders summoned Kelly</a> to a disciplinary trial set for 22 June. She was tried in absentia by an all-male panel of three judges. To defend her case, she sent a letter to the panel along with about 1,000 letters from supporters.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are a lot of Mormons who have a lot of opinion, from the ridiculous to the sublime, and they&rsquo;re expressed every Sunday in church, but this is different,&rdquo; Kathleen Flake, <a href="http://religiousstudies.virginia.edu/faculty/profile/kf7dy">a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia</a>, told The Guardian.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;The point is they have excommunicated her for apostasy, which means she is engaging and advocating and then organizing others to act and speak contrary to the doctrines of the church,&rdquo; said Flake, who is a member of the Mormon church.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;In a church that considers itself as a family, this is a sad day for everyone,&rdquo; Flake said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there is anyone who feels good about this day, from top to bottom.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Church leaders had also put Kelly on informal probation for activities related to Ordain Women in May, according to a letter <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/229282164/Letter-confirming-Kate-Kelly-placed-on-probation">obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune</a>.</p>
<p>She is one of two prominent Mormon activists facing apostasy charges. The other, John Dehlin, operates several popular blogs and podcasts that question LDS policies, including the church&rsquo;s stance on gay members &ndash; which says gay members are allowed, as long as they don&rsquo;t act on their feelings.</p>
<p>These are the most high-profile church excommunications since a one month period in 1993, when <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56920802-78/church-mormon-lds-six.html.csp">a group known as the September Six</a> were tried for questioning church doctrine and its leadership. Five of the six people were excommunicated and one person was disfellowshipped, a lesser penalty that allows the person to remain a member of the church but with restricted membership.</p>
<p>The Mormon church declined to comment except to urge Kelly to publish its letter to her in full. The Cultural Hall, a Mormon podcast, <a href="http://www.theculturalhallpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Notice-of-Decision.pdf">obtained a copy of the letter and posted it online (pdf)</a>.</p>
<!-- Guardian Watermark: internal-code/content/440252726|2014-06-23T22:07:44Z|88faba586505fcbfd848b1a1d444712298f68b10 -->
<p>This article originally appeared on <a rel="canonical">guardian.co.uk</a></p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT0wZTZlMDNlODQ5NTQ0MWFjZTQ3ODc4N2M4ZmI5YzMyNCZub25jZT0xMmU4ZmM4Yi0wNGFlLTRjMmQtYmM2Zi1iOGNjN2MwN2RkOWQmcHVibGlzaGVyPThjMDBmYmVlNjFkNWJjZjBjNjA5MmQ4YjkyZWJiY2Ex" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-church-ousts-feminist-human-rights-lawyer-on-charges-of-apostasy-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-dress-code-2014-3Here's How Mormons Are Supposed To Dresshttp://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-dress-code-2014-3
Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:59:00 -0500Christina Sterbenz
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5314d5226da811586baa98fe-800-/mormon-women.jpg" border="0" alt="Mormon women" width="800" /></p><p></p>
<p>A recent New York Times article on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/us/a-growing-role-for-mormon-women.html?_r=0">the rise of female Mormon missionaries</a> points to the <a href="https://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/sister/grooming/skin/">guidelines for appearance described and modeled on the church's website</a>. We decided to take a closer look at the dress and grooming recommendations for this fast-growing religion, which is formally known as the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS).</p>
<p>Although there is no specific code for Mormons, the religion emphasizes modesty.</p>
<p>As described on <a href="http://mormon.lds.net/mormon-beliefs/mormons-and-modesty">LDS.net</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">You might not immediately be able to spot an individual Mormon by his or her clothing. The clothing Mormons wear is fashionable and ordinary, chosen by the members themselves to suit their style within the guidelines. However, if you were to observe a group of young LDS teenagers, you might notice that overall, there is a difference. These girls will not have low-cut tops or tops that reveal their stomachs. Their shoulders will be covered and their dresses will reach their knees. Their clothing won&rsquo;t be tight or suggestive, even though it&rsquo;s fashionable. They&rsquo;ll have no more than one set of earrings, positioned in the usual place on the ears.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Boys won&rsquo;t have overly baggy pants that reveal underwear and their waistlines won&rsquo;t hang low. They also have their shoulders, stomachs, and chests covered and their clothing is designed to cover them, not reveal them. Neither group will have tattoos.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/dress-grooming">Standards for Mormon missionaries</a> are more explicit. Here's a summary of the dress code for the tens of thousands of them (generally young men and women) who go out every year:</p>
<h3>Clothing</h3>
<p>Women should wear "professional suits, skirts, blouses, jackets, sweaters, and dresses." Jeans or pants are only acceptable during certain activities, like exercise.</p>
<p>Shirts with "cap sleeves" can't be worn alone. But women don't have to tuck in their shirts. While layering is okay, undershirts shouldn't be noticeably longer than the top layer.</p>
<p>Skirts and dresses must cover their entire knee when sitting or standing. No mesh, fishnet or lace tights. And if they wear leggings, the bottoms can't be visible. Wear boots or colored nylons that match with flat shoes.</p>
<p>And all the above clothing should be"attractive, colorful, tailored to fit well, and conservative in style."</p>
<h3>Hair and Make-up</h3>
<p>While there's no specific style, length, or color for hair, it should be "attractive," "easy to manage," "natural," and "conservative."</p>
<p>If women choose to wear any accessories, like clips or headbands, they can't draw attention or "distract from your message."</p>
<p>Make-up isn't required, but the guide notes it can help women look your best. If women do choose to wear cosmetics, they should be "neutral and conservative in style and color." The same goes for nail polish.</p>
<p>And of course, "bathe daily, use deodorant, and wash your hair frequently." Perfume, if worn, can't be "overpowering or distracting."</p>
<h3>Shoes and Accessories</h3>
<p>This section covers it all: flats, everyday shoes, heels, boots, exercise shoes, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, rings, and bags.</p>
<p>For safety reasons, women should wear closed-toe and closed-heel shoes. Also, for safety and security, earrings (only one in each ear) can't hang longer than approximately one inch below the earlobe. Naturally, tattoos, nose rings, other body piercings, and toe rings are unacceptable.</p>
<p>Lastly, "backpacks are not professional."</p>
<h3>Men</h3>
<p>Men should wear wrinkle-resistant suits and ties. When choosing to wear a lighter color, they should stick with grey or brown. Only polyester blend, white shirts can be worn under suits. In colder weather, sweaters and vests are also permitted.</p>
<p>Men also have to wear closed-toe and closed-heel dress shoes or boots with matching socks. No suede shoes or cowboy boots. No backpacks or hoodies either.</p>
<p>Hair should be kept "relatively short and evenly tapered." Faux-hawk, crew cuts, mullets, spikey styles, and messy hair are prohibited. They can't bleach or dye their hair. Sideburns can't be longer than mid-ear either.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"Bathe, shave, and brush your teeth each day. Use deodorant, and wash your hair frequently."</span></p>
<p>While the guide doesn't mention facial hair, all of the men we saw on the site are clean-shaven.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hill-cumorah-pageant-mormon-lds-photos-2012-7" >Here's what we saw at a big Mormon pageant in Upstate New York</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mormon-dress-code-2014-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/doubt-in-mormonism-widespread-2013-7Mormons From All Levels Of The Church Are Having Serious Crises Of Faithhttp://www.businessinsider.com/doubt-in-mormonism-widespread-2013-7
Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:39:00 -0400Robert Long
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51eef43eeab8ea0320000009-480-/mormon-temple-reflection-1.jpg" border="0" alt="mormon temple reflection" width="480" /></p><p>A&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/us/some-mormons-search-the-web-and-find-doubt.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">fascinating New York Times article</a>&nbsp;about doubt in Mormonism&nbsp;suggests that crises of faith are widespread not just among the marginally committed, but also the true believers and leadership.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It points to a </span><a href="http://www.whymormonsquestion.org/about/">survey</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> of more than 3,300 Mormon &ldquo;disbelievers&rdquo; released last year that found that over 40% of respondents had served in leadership positions.</span></p>
<p>Possibly more interesting than the survey itself, however, is the man who conducted it: John Dehlin, a graduate student at Utah State University, the founder of the &ldquo;Mormon Stories&rdquo; podcast, and himself a traveler in the gray area between faith and doubt in Mormonism.</p>
<p>When Mr. Dehlin went through an acute crisis of faith ten years ago, he felt there were few people he could turn to to help him, due to the stigma of doubt and disbelief.</p>
<p>Now, his mission is to create more acceptance inside Mormonism for people struggling with the historical and doctrinal problems of Mormonism&ndash;anguished souls like the respondents to his survey who <a href="http://www.whymormonsquestion.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Survey-Results_Understanding-Mormon-Disbelief-Mar20121.pdf" target="_blank">write pleas like</a>, &ldquo;Please make sure the Church encourages its believers to avoid ostracizing a fellow member for such member&rsquo;s disbelief&rdquo; and &ldquo;I try to participate so that our family can be together at church, but it is so hard when there is such a negative attitude towards people who have lost belief.&rdquo;</p>
<p>(Mr. Dehlen&rsquo;s survey defines &ldquo;disbelievers&rdquo;&mdash; perhaps problematically&mdash;as people who once believed but now deny that the Church is &ldquo;the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth,&rdquo; a key statement of Mormon belief.)</p>
<p>Post-crisis, Mr. Dehlin himself seems to deny that teaching. &ldquo;I do believe in God,&rdquo; he <a href="http://mormonstories.org/john-dehlin/" target="_blank">writes</a>, &ldquo;(though I don&rsquo;t quite know what that means)&rdquo;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And I believe that while God&rsquo;s inspiration can often be found within the LDS church, I also see God&rsquo;s inspiration in most churches, in nature, and wherever love and goodness abound (including amongst scientists, atheists, etc.).</p>
<p>I have no idea how much of &ldquo;the gospel&rdquo; is true/literal, and how much of it is symbolic/metaphorical.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, like 20% of the disbelievers who filled out his survey, Mr. Dehlen also attends church weekly, where his bishop and stake president are aware of his activities and encourage him to remain active.</p>
<p>His current position is a strange mix, then, of skepticism and a desire to help people deal with contradictions in Mormonism. As he enumerates those contradictions in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=EP3GJeYIN3s" target="_blank">video on his website</a>, he pauses to assure his viewers, &ldquo;There are believers who know all this, and who have found ways to have this not disrupt their testimony.&rdquo;</p>
<p>His approach manages to draw anger from both sides: by believers who see him as a wolf in sheep&rsquo;s clothing, and by ex-believers who see him as an accomodationist and coward.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It seems the purpose of the board is to lovingly coax people out of the church, all while making them feel really great about it,&rdquo; <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Mormon/Odd-Couple-Rosalynde-Welch-06-29-2012.html#comment-574774286" target="_blank">writes one commenter</a>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very misleading site&hellip;&rdquo;</p>
<p>On the other hand, some who have left Mormonism see <a href="http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,622707" target="_blank">no good reason</a> for him to still be sticking around.</p>
<p>Dehlin, for his part, wants the Mormon church to thrive&mdash;and to him, that means mostly sticking with the same orthodox beliefs he rejects. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want the church to fill up with members like me,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s good for the church.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve read enough about Judaism to know that a church can&rsquo;t thrive with predominately liberal members. Historically speaking, my understanding is a church needs a strong core of orthodox and orthoprax members to stay healthy and vibrant.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This strange admixture of beliefs&mdash;a disavowal of the orthodox teachings of his church paired with fierce loyalty to the institution; a desire to help doubters stay in the church as liberals paired with hope that plenty of orthodox remain left over&mdash;is baffling, perhaps incomprehensible for outsiders to Mormonism.</p>
<p>And unfortunately, I could not speak to Mr. Dehlin for as long we would have liked. He had to leave for church.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/doubt-in-mormonism-widespread-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-mormon-vote-2012-11PEW EXIT POLL: More Mormons Voted For George Bush In 2004 Than Mitt Romney In 2012http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-mormon-vote-2012-11
Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:30:14 -0500Walter Hickey
<p>The <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/How-the-Faithful-Voted-2012-Preliminary-Exit-Poll-Analysis.aspx">Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life</a> came out with their report on how the country's different religious groups voted in the presidential election, and there's statistic in there that is pretty surprising.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A higher percentage of Mormons voted for George Bush in 2004 than voted for Romney in 2012.</p>
<p>In 2004, 80% of Mormons voted for Bush while 19% supported John Kerry.</p>
<p>The general expectation would be that Romney &mdash; an active Latter-Day saint, who attended Brigham Young University, served on a mission, served as a high-ranking church official in Massachusetts, saved the Salt Lake City Olympics, and has extensive ties to the LDS community &mdash; would at least hold on to that number.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to exit polls conducted by the Pew Forum, that wasn't the case.&nbsp;<span>Romney failed to make any gains among the demographic. In fact, 21% of Mormons voted for Barack Obama and only 78% voted Romney.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>See the chart below:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/509d525feab8eae359000001-615-485/pew-exit-poll-religion.png" border="0" alt="Pew Exit poll religion" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-mormon-vote-2012-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-think-a-mormon-should-be-president-2012-10Why A Mormon Is Perfectly Suited To Be Presidenthttp://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-think-a-mormon-should-be-president-2012-10
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:36:15 -0400Matt Hopkins
<p><em><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5089b313ecad04392200000e-400-300/mitt-romney.jpg" border="0" alt="Mitt Romney" />Earlier, we published an op-ed from a contributor entitled "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10">Why I Don't Think A Mormon Should Be President</a>." The author argued that because Mormonism encourages a divinely inspired personal view of morality and truth Mormons don't separate church from state. Matt Hopkins, a Mormon living in San Francisco, rejects this argument and responds below.</em></p>
<p>Mormons are unlikely patriots. We are a faith that was founded in the youth of the nation, forged in the desert of the West, and matured along with the country that we call home. Our history is complicated, but consistently we have proved loyal to the United States of America.</p>
<p>The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as Mormonism, started in New York, moved to the midwest and eventually settled what is now known as Utah. We made these moves not because we wanted to be secretive, but because we were persecuted for our faith. In the land of freedom of religion, it was actually legal to shoot a Mormon on site in Missouri from 1838 until 1976. I'm not making that up, look up Missouri Executive Order 44.</p>
<p>Even though we left the United States to practice our faith in peace, we never left our patriotism behind. In 1846-47 the Mormon church provided approximately 500 men to the United States Government to serve in the Mexican-American War. The group, known as the Mormon&nbsp;Battalion, would march almost 2,000 miles for the United States government. Men from that battalion would become instrumental in settling the western United States.</p>
<p>Our faith teaches us that the Constitution and its writers were divinely inspired. Our <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/98.5?lang=eng#4">scripture</a> says the following concerning the rule of law:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"...that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind..."</p>
<p>One of our <a href="http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,106-1-2-1,FF.html" target="_blank">Articles of Faith</a> states:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."</p>
<p>We appreciate the rule of law, because we know what it is like to live in a land without it. We know the principles in the founding documents of the United States are so important because we were deprived of them. Regardless of political affiliation, embedded in the Mormon faith is a belief that we must uphold the rule of law.&nbsp;Mormons, both Democrats and Republicans, have served in public office for years. Harry Reid is a member and I would write this if he was running for president too. If you don't like Mitt Romney, that is one thing, but citing his Mormonism as a disqualification for the office is just lazy.</p>
<p>I could give you a list of stereotypical Mormon attributes for why a Mormon would be a good president. I could explain how our two year missions shape us, and I could talk about the selfless service inherent in Mormon beliefs, but none of that matters. In the end it is the President's job to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Anything else is, well, poppycock. </p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-think-a-mormon-should-be-president-2012-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10Why I Don't Think A Mormon Should Be Presidenthttp://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:20:00 -0400Nathan Nebeker
<p style="text-align: left;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5087d7cdecad042220000015-400-300/mitt-romney.jpg" border="0" alt="mitt romney" /></p><p><em>Nathan Nebeker is a technology executive and entrepreneur. He was born in Salt Lake City, and his family descends from some of the early Mormon pioneers. The opinions expressed below are his own. </em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The founders of the United States had a lot of good ideas, but undoubtedly one of the best was the decoupling of religion from government. &nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In principle, someone from any religion can be President of the United States.&nbsp; So even though all but one president has been a member of some flavor of Protestant Christianity, Mitt Romney&rsquo;s Mormonism doesn&rsquo;t disqualify him from the presidency in the eyes of the American public.&nbsp; This is a good thing.&nbsp; In principle.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">At the risk of sounding like a mullah, I believe there are deeper reasons that a Mormon <em>should</em> be disqualified from being president.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Romney&rsquo;s candidacy, along with a Broadway smash musical and a few other things, have come together to create a &ldquo;Mormon moment.&rdquo;&nbsp; But despite this, public knowledge of Mormonism is limited to some superficial cultural impressions, with an underlying feeling of vague suspicion.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If Romney were to win, you could say Mormonism is a fringe branch of Protestant Christianity, and therefore he wouldn&rsquo;t be charting any new territory. &nbsp;Mormonism is actually kind of a hybrid between Protestantism and Catholicism.&nbsp; They embrace the most basic Protestant idea of a personal relationship with God, (for men, anyway), but have the hierarchical power structure, rigid dogma, and the expectation of obedience of Catholics.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>"Romney's idea of truth is not something discovered after hard-fought inquiry and testing, but instead is declared by a person with authority, often for unexamined reasons, and sanctioned by divine validation."</strong></h3>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">Protestants do not accept Mormons as one of their own, ostensibly for all sorts of technical theocratic reasons.&nbsp; But the real reason Mormons are regarded as outside the tapestry of Protestantism is that&rsquo;s just how the Mormons want it.&nbsp; This otherness hints at the problem of a Mormon president, but the deeper reasons are epistemological &ndash; that is, having to do with the Mormon notion of truth.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5016c7d669beddfc11000002-553-418/joseph-smith.jpg" border="0" alt="Joseph Smith" width="396" height="299" /></p>
<p>Joseph Smith, the Mormon&rsquo;s founder, was not an intellectual. He was a creative and energetic megalomaniac, and intensely charismatic individual. But he was no Martin Luther, nor even a Calvin. He didn&rsquo;t come up with a revolutionary and enduring idea on which to base the religion. &nbsp;Mormonism, instead, is founded on the belief that American Indians are descended from Jews (this is not a joke &ndash; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamanite">you can look it up</a>). He unified two pop culture historical mysteries of the mid-nineteenth century among the uneducated middle class, (1) where did the American Indians come from, and (2) what happened to the two lost tribes of Israel?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The &ldquo;answer&rdquo; to this twin mystery is the subject of the monumentally tedious and derivative Book of Mormon, which, along with the King James Bible and a few other thin volumes of inspiration from Joseph Smith (which include the original revelation on polygamy), are the holy books on which the religion is based. It tells the story of the lost tribes of Israel getting into boats, settling the Americas, and getting a visit from Jesus while on a layover during his resurrection.</p>
<p>So how could such a socially successful creed come from this?&nbsp; A big part of the reason is that Joseph Smith was murdered at the best possible time for the fledgling movement to come under the control of the autocratic and exceedingly gifted social architect Brigham Young, and that all this coincided well with the westward expansion of former Europeans across the United States.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Mormons were swept along into the broader demographic and geographic wave of settling the West. And because of their particular skill in irrigation, a remarkable resilience in the face of serious hardship, and practicing an economically successful version of socialism, including appropriation of property for the collective, they were able to thrive in the desert of Utah, which was otherwise considered uninhabitable, or at least unattractive, by other pioneers. The &ldquo;bulls and steers&rdquo; structure of polygamy didn&rsquo;t hurt, either.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But what about now?&nbsp; How, in this day and age of higher common learning and mitochondrial DNA analysis, could not just a religion, but a complete society continue to thrive as well as Mormonism does, when it is based on such clearly false tenets? &nbsp;This question used to really bug me, until I was blessed with another realization (or perhaps I should call it a revelation?) some years ago.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Mormonism&rsquo;s social structure is so strong, not despite its frail basis in truth, but <em>because</em> of it &ndash; because it makes the price of admission to the club high. To say &ldquo;Yes, I am a Mormon&rdquo; is to say &ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;m in the 2+2=5 club, are you?&rdquo;&nbsp; This (along with expensive tithing) filters out casual participants. You need to be willing to compromise a normal sense of what&rsquo;s reasonable and rational to be part of this group. It&rsquo;s a strong commitment, which makes for a strong creed.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mormonism-was-founded-2012-7"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/508bce4e69bedd580a000012/cumorah-hill.jpg" border="0" alt="Cumorah Hill" width="409" height="306" /></a></p>
<p>A necessary consequence of this is that Mormons must be insular and secretive. Of course their aggressive proselytizing may make them seem less insular than, say, the Amish. But all of that missionary salesmanship is just an entreaty to join an ultimately insular society. This is what is behind the Mormons&rsquo; reticence and awkwardness at being in the cultural spotlight. But the key point of insularity is it&rsquo;s a society based on a <em>private version of the truth</em>.</p>
<p>Now you could go all Dawkins on me and say that all religions have this brittle, monolithic epistemology. But the difference is that once a religion gets to a certain level of maturity, it no longer has to constantly assert the legitimacy of whatever myths it is based on. The theological constructs then become increasingly abstract, the ethics overtake the dogma, and the pragmatic issues are allowed to be pragmatic.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So I am not saying having a president with religious convictions is problematic. Far from it. Jimmy Carter was the most outwardly religious president, of the modern era at least. But his Christianity manifests mostly in a deep sense of empathy and forgiveness. Having this key, powerful component of Christianity guide public policy is a good thing in a leader. It can even be inspiring, such as with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of post-Apartheid South Africa, which, despite not being perfect, enabled tremendous healing within a very wounded society.</p>
<p>While Mormons have adopted these Christian ethics and practice them well, particularly among their own, at its core, this isn&rsquo;t what Mormonism is about. It&rsquo;s about being a club.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Once a month, the Mormon church meeting is devoted to what is called &ldquo;Fast and Testimony meeting.&rdquo;&nbsp; Fast means you aren&rsquo;t supposed to eat that day. Testimony means you are supposed to get up and publicly declare your faith. These meetings start slowly, with awkward silences. But inevitably, they take off, fueled by group psychology and holy one-upmanship. The most common phrase heard during these meetings is, &ldquo;I know this church is true,&rdquo; or, more tellingly, &ldquo;I know this is the <em>only</em> true church.&rdquo;&nbsp; Or, for those into subtext, &ldquo;The lady doth protest too much, methinks.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So why does all this make a Mormon president a bad idea?&nbsp; Since it is so deeply ingrained in the Mormon culture to have a sense of truth that is private, unquestionable, and not subject to analysis, debate, or verification, Mormon authority figures, like Romney, become very accustomed to speaking from God&rsquo;s point of view, and feeling entirely justified in keeping their motives or reasoning secret. Without any checks and balances, authority figures can easily become unmoored and drift from reality.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Some individuals drift a long way from reality. Mormon culture has produced more than its share of self-justifying lunatics, like Brian David Mitchell, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/mark-hoffman">Mark Hoffman</a>, and Dan Lafferty--as have many other religions. But the difference in thinking between these outliers and mainstream Mormons is a difference, not of kind, but of degree, as both positions are based on truth as monolithic declaration.</p>
<p>This helps illuminate Romney&rsquo;s flip-flopping, etch-a-sketching political character. His is <em>not</em> the cynical, coldly pragmatic moral calculus that Nixon so masterfully practiced for political gain. Romney actually believes he has a patriarchal right to say whatever he wants. His idea of the nature of truth is not something which is discovered after hard fought inquiry and testing, but instead is declared by a person with authority, often for unexamined reasons, and sanctioned by divine validation. This is much more dangerous than Nixon. Nixon knew he was lying.</p>
<p>It also illuminates Romney&rsquo;s secrecy &ndash; about his tax returns, about details of his public policy, or any justifications behind his statements. Within Mormon culture, he is used to speaking to an audience who tell themselves, &ldquo;ours is not to reason why.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>So when you see a smug smile on Romney&rsquo;s face, it isn&rsquo;t just the smile of a super rich guy marinating in his own ego. It&rsquo;s the smile of someone who is always holding in the back of his mind a belief that he has a special, private truth, unknown to those outside his club, that makes him superior and unquestionable. Yet at the same time, he is ignorant of the dangerous fact that this &ldquo;truth&rdquo; is all too flexible. This would be a very bad characteristic of the leader of the free world.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Now it&rsquo;s not the case that <em>all</em> Mormons are categorically disqualified from being president. It&rsquo;s just that we should only consider someone with a bit more distance from the dogmatic traps of this young religion. Someone more like Huntsman, for example.</p>
<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-think-a-mormon-should-be-president-2012-10">Why I Think A Mormon SHOULD Be President</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-mormon-should-not-be-president-2012-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/romneys-sister-dreams-of-hollywood-2012-9Mitt Romney's Secret Sister Is A Struggling Actress In Hollywoodhttp://www.businessinsider.com/romneys-sister-dreams-of-hollywood-2012-9
Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:59:00 -0400Christina Austin
<p><strong><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/504760ab69bedd4a1f000002/jane.jpg" border="0" alt="Jane" />Jane Romney</strong>, the 74-year-old, estranged sister of <strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/mitt-romney" class="hidden_link">Mitt Romney</a></strong>, has successfully stayed out of the limelight during her brother's presidential campaign. But that's not necessarily what the struggling actress has wanted.</p>
<p>Jane, who is based in Beverly Hills, has dreamt of being a Hollywood actress for years, but has only starred in minor productions. One such 2009 project led her to play an older, blonde Cleopatra in "Love and War," according to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mitt-romney-sister-jane-hollywood-367980"><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em></a>.</p>
<p>The only detail that has thrust Jane into the political sphere is her adoption of <strong>Seamus,</strong> the Romney family dog, who was famously strapped to Mitt's car roof in the '80s.</p>
<p>For years, Jane played the real life role of housewife, but without the "Desperate Housewives" fame. Her marriage to a Mormon doctor joined two of the leading families of the church and resulted in four children, but after 20 years of marriage, the couple called it quits.</p>
<p>Following her divorce, Jane and her youngest son moved from Sacramento to Los Angeles so that they could pursue acting. Both had limited success, with Jane's sole <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3396836/" target="_blank">IMDb</a> credit being from an episode of "Days of our Lives" in 1993. The website leaves out <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mitt-romney-sister-jane-hollywood-367980" target="_blank">a love story she helped write</a>, and also acted in, to benefit a California theatre.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite nearly a lifetime of unsuccessfully seeking fame in Hollywood, Jane&mdash;a public supporter of California Democrats <strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/barbara-boxer" class="hidden_link">Barbara Boxer</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/jerry-brown" class="hidden_link">Jerry Brown</a></strong>&mdash;has kept mainly to herself during Mitt's current campaign.</p>
<p>It is still unclear whether the decision was by choice or her brother's urging.</p>
<p>For more on Jane Romney's private life in Beverly Hills, read the <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mitt-romney-sister-jane-hollywood-367980" target="_blank">full<em> Hollywood Reporter</em> article here</a>.</p>
<h2><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/check-out-the-celebrities-in-the-audience-at-the-dnc-opening-night-2012-9">SEE ALSO: Celebs at the DNC in Charlotte &gt;</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/romneys-sister-dreams-of-hollywood-2012-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-asked-to-pay-back-his-great-grandfathers-130-year-old-debt-2012-8Mitt Romney Asked To Pay Back His Great Grandfather's 130-Year-Old Debthttp://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-asked-to-pay-back-his-great-grandfathers-130-year-old-debt-2012-8
Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:54:00 -0400Alison Flood
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/503cb0e7ecad04c266000007-400-/mormons.jpg" border="0" alt="mormons" width="400" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/mitt-romney" class="hidden_link">Mitt Romney</a> might think the most he has to deal with this week is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/27/republicans-disruption-isaac-new-orleans" title="">the approach of tropical storm Isaac</a> and his upcoming convention speech, but the Republican presidential candidate has also just been landed with a 130-year-old bill for $25,000 (&pound;16,000) from the author Judith Freeman.</p>
<p>Freeman, author of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/nov/28/usa.biography" title="">a well-received biography of Raymond Chandler</a> and four novels, has traced her family history back to the 1870s, when her great-grandfather William Jordan Flake and Romney's great grandfather Miles P Romney "were patriarchs of adjoining Mormon communities in the high, cold, hard country of northern Arizona, a region known as Apache County". Although both men ran into trouble with local communities over their "scandalous practice of polygamy", Flake was a "deeply respected man", according to Freeman. Romney, on the other hand, was described by one newspaper editor as "a mass of putrid pus and rotten goose pimples; a skunk, with the face of a baboon, the character of a louse, the breath of a buzzard and the record of a perjurer and common drunkard."</p>
<p>US marshals were rounding up polygamists and arresting them at the time, and both men became targets and were eventually arrested. Flake posted bail of $1,000 for Romney, who had no money, <a href="http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&amp;id=877&amp;fulltext=1&amp;media=" title="">Freeman writes in the Los Angeles Review of Books</a>, and "now we come to the matter I'd like to bring up with Mitt".</p>
<p>Miles P Romney, she says, then fled to Mexico, where Mitt's father George was born, while Flake served a six-month sentence for polygamy.</p>
<p>"The point is Miles P Romney never bothered to repay my great-grandfather Flake the thousand dollars he owed him for posting his bail. Since it's never too late to make a situation right, and since Mitt Romney seems to have sufficient funds now to cover his ancestor's old debt, I'd like to call upon him to do so," writes Freeman. Since the younger Romney's estimated fortune is some $230m, the bill should not be too much of a stretch.</p>
<p>She has worked out that $1,000 from the 1880s would be worth about $25,000 today &ndash; she's willing to let the interest slide. "Because William Jordan Flake has about 15,000 descendants living at the moment, I realize I'll have to divide up the money should Romney do the right thing and write out that check," she says. "However, I want to assure Mitt that I'm more than happy to be the disburser of the funds and I guarantee that all the Flakes of the world will get their fair share the moment he does the right thing."</p>
<p><img src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-api/1/H.20.3/98867?ns=guardian&amp;pageName=Mitt+Romney%27s+unpaid+family+bill+catches+up+with+him+Article+1793222&amp;ch=Books&amp;c2=53056&amp;c4=Books%2CCulture%2CMitt+Romney+%28News%29%2CWorld+news%2CUS+news%2CUS+elections+2012+%28News%29&amp;c3=guardian.co.uk&amp;c6=Alison+Flood&amp;c7=12-Aug-28&amp;c8=1793222&amp;c9=Article" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<!-- Guardian Watermark: books/2012/aug/28/mitt-romney-unpaid-bill-demand|2012-08-28T11:02:17Z|ed10949732977364906f6255da9109638070711b -->
<p>This article originally appeared on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/28/mitt-romney-unpaid-bill-demand">guardian.co.uk</a></p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="http://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1iNDYzOWZmZWYzZjc4NzgxNWY3YzkzYjdjMmEzMTUxNCZvd25lcj01ZGYyMDgwZWQ3Y2QxN2VjMjVhYWU2ZTkwYWU2MzNmMiZub25jZT01YjQwZWJlYS1lMjMyLTRhY2YtYjg1OC01ZTMxN2YyOGE5NTAmcHVibGlzaGVyPThjMDBmYmVlNjFkNWJjZjBjNjA5MmQ4YjkyZWJiY2Ex" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-asked-to-pay-back-his-great-grandfathers-130-year-old-debt-2012-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-romney-should-not-be-afraid-to-highlight-his-faith/2012/08/06/c6a6e728-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_story.htmlRomney Should Not Be Afraid To Highlight His Faithhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-romney-should-not-be-afraid-to-highlight-his-faith/2012/08/06/c6a6e728-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_story.html
Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:14:47 -0400Michael Gerson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4ff32e3969bedd5e27000034/mitt-romney.jpg" border="0" alt="Mitt Romney" /></p><p>Concerning Mormons and Republicans, history offers a large helping of irony. In 1843, an Army officer named John C. Fremont led a geographical expedition of 39 men more than 1,700 miles to the shores of the Great Salt Lake. His report on the journey inspired hounded Mormons to mount their wagons and resettle in the Great Basin.</p>
<p>Thirteen years later in Philadelphia, Fremont became the first presidential nominee of the Republican Party, which&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brink-of-war.html" data-xslt="_http">adopted a platform</a>&nbsp;opposing the &ldquo;twin relics of barbarism &mdash; Polygamy, and Slavery.&rdquo; The slogan, and the anti-Mormon sentiment behind it, caught on. A Republican rally in Indianapolis, reportedly attended by 60,000 people, included an ox-drawn parade wagon depicting Brigham Young along with six wives dressed in hoop skirts, each with a little Brigham in her arms.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-romney-should-not-be-afraid-to-highlight-his-faith/2012/08/06/c6a6e728-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_story.html">Read the rest at the <em>Washington Post</em> &gt;</a></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-romney-should-not-be-afraid-to-highlight-his-faith/2012/08/06/c6a6e728-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_story.html#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/a-mormon-responds-to-claims-about-the-secrets-of-the-church-2012-8A Mormon Responds To Claims About The Secrets Of The Churchhttp://www.businessinsider.com/a-mormon-responds-to-claims-about-the-secrets-of-the-church-2012-8
Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:52:00 -0400Tyler Hogge
<p class="p1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5004be036bb3f7aa54000009-400-/mormon-temple-palmyra.jpg" border="0" alt="mormon temple palmyra" width="400" /></p><p>In response to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-mormon-secrets-that-every-voter-should-know-2012-7" target="_blank">Richard Packham&rsquo;s piece posted recently</a>, I felt it necessary to &lsquo;balance out the scale&rsquo; of bias that reeked in his article.</p>
<p class="p1">As a current and active member of the &lsquo;Mormon&rsquo; faith, more correctly named the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), it is always exciting for me to see the media discuss and investigate my faith.</p>
<p class="p1">After all, if something really is as great as I proclaim it to be, isn&rsquo;t it a good thing when others take a closer look at it? If something is amazing, it will surely look so upon closer examination.</p>
<p class="p1">The answer to that is yes, it will, as long as the exam is done by someone who is objective and unbiased.</p>
<p class="p1">Mr. Packham clearly does not meet that (low) standard of objectivity.</p>
<p class="p1">As a self-proclaimed atheist and anti-Mormon, he brings same level of objectivity to a discussion on Mormonism that Debbie Phelps brings to a debate on who is our country&rsquo;s best swimmer.</p>
<p class="p1">However, he is free to write, and <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/business-insider">Business Insider</a> is free to publish, but as any great editor would do, I hope this response to the piece is published as well.</p>
<p class="p1">&nbsp;The &lsquo;secrets&rsquo; that Packham claims to expose are not new expositions. What is new here is that a great source of business news decided to blindly post it and give breath to his hopeless purpose &ndash; which is to somehow demonize something that is actually good.</p>
<p class="p1">The LDS faith is a bright ray of hope to several million people worldwide, including myself and many of my friends and family. Yes, it was founded by a boy, Joseph Smith, whose life was full of stumbling and setbacks, but also full of genius and prophecy.</p>
<p class="p1">Faithful members of the LDS church accept the doctrines of the church while simultaneously accepting the imperfection of its members, including and especially its leadership. Yes, Mormon faithful worship in temples, which includes &lsquo;ordinances&rsquo; and &lsquo;covenants&rsquo; that members are asked to adhere to.</p>
<p class="p1">Not to mention, the promises made in LDS temples clearly allow for any participant to freely withdraw. Surely if an individual later decides to leave the faith, should he not still honor the sacredness others hold to those worship services? Yes, the members of the church choose to refer to temple worship as &lsquo;sacred&rsquo; rather than &lsquo;secret&rsquo; &ndash; but there are reasons for this.</p>
<p class="p1">A true secret is one in which disclosure cannot be made at any cost. Temple worship in the LDS faith is actually open to <em>anyone</em> who truly wants to participate. The prerequisite, of course, is to be an active member of the church.</p>
<p class="p1">Regarding the question Richard raises about Mitt Romney&rsquo;s candidacy - I would echo the words of John Kennedy, who was recently quoted by Mitt:</p>
<p class="p1" style="padding-left: 30px;">&nbsp;&ldquo;But if the time should ever come &mdash; and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible &mdash; when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="p1">If that explanation is not enough for Mr. Packham or those that follow his line of thinking, then the Mormon candidate is not for them. And that is fine.</p>
<p class="p1">And lastly, regarding the venom that was spewed at the church I love, I would quote a former church leader Bruce McConkie:</p>
<p class="p1" style="padding-left: 30px;">&ldquo;The Church is like a great caravan&mdash;organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place. What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="p1">And surely it has. From its earliest days in upstate New York where its members were few, to its current status as a worldwide force for good, the church certainly has the attention of admirers and detractors alike. I have had the chance to serve as a full time missionary and have seen the principles of the LDS church change lives for the better.</p>
<p class="p1">An objective researcher would see that while the church has had perceived bumps along the way, it truly is a source of goodness in the world for members and non-members alike. The faith,which actually views its foundation as Jesus Christ and <em>not</em> as Joseph Smith or any other man, proclaims in its mission to strengthen the weak and help others learn Christian principles to live a more fulfilling life. The LDS humanitarian organization provides aid for 179 countries and to date has provided over 1.3 Billion USD in total humanitarian aid according to its own site.</p>
<p class="p1">The scrutiny is welcome, the questions are deserved, and the misinformation at times is understandable. For those who are looking for answers about the church and its beliefs, I would invite any emails and would also direct any to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lds.org/"><span class="s1">www.lds.org</span></a> where a reader can find our church&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?lang=eng"><span class="s1">&ldquo;Articles of Faith&rdquo;.</span></a></p>
<p class="p1">Surely there are organizations that deserve the criticism of Packham and others, but in the opinion of the author, the LDS church falls low on that list.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-mormon-secrets-that-every-voter-should-know-2012-7" target="_blank">EARLIER: An Ex-Mormom Describes Some "Secrets" Of The Church...</a></h3><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-mormon-responds-to-claims-about-the-secrets-of-the-church-2012-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>